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September 18, 2026
110th Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 2026 🇧🇪 (1.1) ME – Koolskamp – Koolskamp : 180,2 km
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen is a UCI 1.1 one-day road race through the flat agricultural roads of West Flanders,
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September 18, 2026
110th Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 2026 🇧🇪 (1.1) ME – Koolskamp – Koolskamp : 180,2 km
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen is a UCI 1.1 one-day road race through the flat agricultural roads of West Flanders, traditionally based around Koolskamp and featuring repeated laps on a compact circuit. The course is predominantly paved, with long straight sections, open farmland and only minor elevation changes, usually amounting to less than 700 metres of total climbing. Rather than sustained gradients, the main challenges come from high speeds, narrow passages, technical bends and exposure to wind across open fields. Short rises and occasional uneven road surfaces can create brief accelerations, but the overall profile favors riders capable of maintaining a fast rhythm. Positioning becomes increasingly important as the laps accumulate, particularly before corners and restrictive sections where gaps can form quickly. Early breakaways may establish a lead, forcing teams to balance chasing with conserving energy for the finale. The peloton can stretch under pressure but often regroups on the wider roads. With the final kilometres largely flat, the race is typically shaped by a fast bunch sprint, although a late breakaway can alter the finishing scenario.
Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) outsprinted Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) to win Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen for a second time in two years. Uno-X Mobility’s Søren Wærenskjold completed the podium as the top sprinters put on a show for the shootout in Koolscamp.
The fastman from Soudal notched his 11th victory of the season and held off a charge from his Dutch rival on the far right side of the road. Groenewegen now has five runner-up spots at the Belgian race, last winning in 2018.
On the final 500 metres, Unibet Rose Rockets lined up with three riders to lead out their sprinter up the middle. However, Merlier found an opening on the far right and swooped past with 100 metres to go.
“The headwind made things difficult, and you had to pick the right moment to go, but also have some luck to launch your sprint. I’m happy to take the victory here for the second time in my career, especially as it’s close to my home,” Merlier said in a team statement after the victory.
“It’s a success that motivates me for the following races I have between now and the end of the season, in October.
Friday’s 180.2km escapade was a 12-lap circuit around Koolskamp in West Flanders. Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen, also known as Koolscamp Koers, is the first in a trio of Belgian races for the weekend, followed Saturday by the Flandrien 0.0 Classic and Sunday by Gooikse Pijl.
For the opener, each circuit covered close to 17km, and was flat the entire way. Last year’s winner Jonathan Milan was not present, which opened a huge opportunity for the rest of the previous podium, Groenewegen and Merlier, both former winners. Back after a year’s absence was Philipsen, a winner in 2023.
Seven riders jumped away after 22km, and they opened a gap of 2:30 across the next two circuits. In the group were Alex Kirsch (Cofidis), Alexys Brunel (TotalEnergies), Born De Bobbelaere (VolkerWessels), Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise), Rokas Adomaitis (Energus Cycling), Guillaume Visser (EEW-VDK Cycling) and Gaetan Warnier (Dovy Keukens-FCC Cycling).
Once the break approached the start of the ninth lap, six remained with the margin cut in half; De Bobbelaere dropped. Another lap later and Adomaitis and Brunel faded from the front. The peloton began to stretch out into a single line, driven by Alpecin-Premier Tech.
The four riders remaining at the front carried only a 24-second advantage with two-and-a-half laps to go, 40km. Alpecin, Groupama, Soudal-QuickStep and Unibet Rose Rockets riders sensed it was time to make the catch as they moved to the front, but a trio resisted at the front.
Movement through crosswinds saw Kirsch, Warnier and Vercouillie holding a slim lead as several attacks from behind failed. Once on the bell lap, the sprint teams had made their catch to settle accounts in a traditional bunch finish.
From Pittem, with a direct line of 4km to go, Lidl-Trek and Uno-X Mobility positioned at the front of the peloton with the blowing directly headon. With 1 km to go, it was Unibet Rose Rockets taking over the pace, but they could not hold off the red-hot Merlier.
Results :
 ME </strong> - Koolskamp - Koolskamp : 180,2 km
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Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen is a UCI 1.1 one-day road race through the flat agricultural roads of West Flanders, traditionally based around Koolskamp and featuring repeated laps on a compact circuit. The course is predominantly paved, with long straight sections, open farmland and only minor elevation changes, usually amounting to less than 700 metres of total climbing. Rather than sustained gradients, the main challenges come from high speeds, narrow passages, technical bends and exposure to wind across open fields. Short rises and occasional uneven road surfaces can create brief accelerations, but the overall profile favors riders capable of maintaining a fast rhythm. Positioning becomes increasingly important as the laps accumulate, particularly before corners and restrictive sections where gaps can form quickly. Early breakaways may establish a lead, forcing teams to balance chasing with conserving energy for the finale. The peloton can stretch under pressure but often regroups on the wider roads. With the final kilometres largely flat, the race is typically shaped by a fast bunch sprint, although a late breakaway can alter the finishing scenario.
Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) outsprinted Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets) to win Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen for a second time in two years. Uno-X Mobility's Søren Wærenskjold completed the podium as the top sprinters put on a show for the shootout in Koolscamp.
The fastman from Soudal notched his 11th victory of the season and held off a charge from his Dutch rival on the far right side of the road. Groenewegen now has five runner-up spots at the Belgian race, last winning in 2018.
On the final 500 metres, Unibet Rose Rockets lined up with three riders to lead out their sprinter up the middle. However, Merlier found an opening on the far right and swooped past with 100 metres to go.
"The headwind made things difficult, and you had to pick the right moment to go, but also have some luck to launch your sprint. I’m happy to take the victory here for the second time in my career, especially as it’s close to my home," Merlier said in a team statement after the victory.
"It’s a success that motivates me for the following races I have between now and the end of the season, in October.
Friday's 180.2km escapade was a 12-lap circuit around Koolskamp in West Flanders. Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen, also known as Koolscamp Koers, is the first in a trio of Belgian races for the weekend, followed Saturday by the Flandrien 0.0 Classic and Sunday by Gooikse Pijl.
For the opener, each circuit covered close to 17km, and was flat the entire way. Last year's winner Jonathan Milan was not present, which opened a huge opportunity for the rest of the previous podium, Groenewegen and Merlier, both former winners. Back after a year's absence was Philipsen, a winner in 2023.
Seven riders jumped away after 22km, and they opened a gap of 2:30 across the next two circuits. In the group were Alex Kirsch (Cofidis), Alexys Brunel (TotalEnergies), Born De Bobbelaere (VolkerWessels), Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise), Rokas Adomaitis (Energus Cycling), Guillaume Visser (EEW-VDK Cycling) and Gaetan Warnier (Dovy Keukens-FCC Cycling).
Once the break approached the start of the ninth lap, six remained with the margin cut in half; De Bobbelaere dropped. Another lap later and Adomaitis and Brunel faded from the front. The peloton began to stretch out into a single line, driven by Alpecin-Premier Tech.
The four riders remaining at the front carried only a 24-second advantage with two-and-a-half laps to go, 40km. Alpecin, Groupama, Soudal-QuickStep and Unibet Rose Rockets riders sensed it was time to make the catch as they moved to the front, but a trio resisted at the front.
Movement through crosswinds saw Kirsch, Warnier and Vercouillie holding a slim lead as several attacks from behind failed. Once on the bell lap, the sprint teams had made their catch to settle accounts in a traditional bunch finish.
From Pittem, with a direct line of 4km to go, Lidl-Trek and Uno-X Mobility positioned at the front of the peloton with the blowing directly headon. With 1 km to go, it was Unibet Rose Rockets taking over the pace, but they could not hold off the red-hot Merlier.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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